About Us
Hello I was introduced to the world of glass when I was eight years old while on a family vacation . Thankfully the vacation plans included the Corning museum of glass in New York State. I was mesmerized how the glass artists or "gaffers" manipulated the molten glass. Later in life in Murano , Italy I spent hours watching the gaffers work with the hot glass. Same thing in Tacoma Washington, hours watching the gaffers of the Chihuly glass museum. Never did I think I would have the chance to blow glass too. I fuse glass which is comonly known as "warm glass". Fusing glass is heating the glass up to temperatures hot enough to fuse pieces of glass together. I also blow hot glass. Hot glass is dipping a metal blow pipe into a 2200 degree pool of molten glass. With a glob of molten glass on the end of the pipe, it's time to get busy and make a nice bowl or something. For me to be able to follow my dreams of creating with glass, has been a blessing. Thank you for your time
A bit about myself. Raised in the suburbs of Chicago I had no artistic intentions other than to build nice forts. I did find a passion for photography at a young age. Today photography makes me stop and smell the flowers. February 21 2016 is when I used a Goupon coupon taking a introductory class blowing class. I had a follow up class the following weekend, in which I made a drinking glass ( in the glass world glasses are called vessels), paperweight and a blue bowl in which I still keep my keys. I inquired with the instructor as to what now since my Groupon glass classes had come to the end. Private lessons I started private lessons twice a month March 17 2016 at Slow Burn Studio in Oakland California. I'm extremely fortunate to have landed at the Slow Burn Studio. My instructor Bryan Goldenberg who has twenty plus years experience has been an outstanding influence. Bryan is the owner of the Slow Burn Studio as well a extremely accomplished artist. Two lessons month were not enough and Bryan wasn't available for more. So July 2016 I started lessons at a non profit "Public Glass" located in south San Francisco. I went with the standard protocol of lessons at Public Glass until the lessons were not enough either. Reading the schedule for Public glass classes I ran across a class for fusing and blowing. I was captivated with the idea of fusing together pieces of art glass. Then taking this flat piece of glass to the hot shop studio and then roll it into a vase, bowl, vessel, roundel spun out plate. December 2016 Bryan and I rolled up my first two pieces, a cute little basket style vessel and Dixie cup style piece. Both of which I love and hopefully keep for myself. The only pieces I presently claim as mine forever are the super glued pieces. My Public glass education was pumped up in August 2016 when I started lessons with a very cool private instructor Ian Whitt. Ian is a phenomenal glass blower who lives and breaths hot glass. His perfectionism is off the hook. Often satisfied with a piece I'd be begging to put the piece away before a disaster strikes. Ian's response " Why don't you doll it up some more before we put it away". I am blowing hot glass in 3 hour sessions four times a month at Public glass down from eight sessions a month through 2016 -2017. Warm glass started August 2016 after becoming convinced I needed to fuse and then roll up the glass. I converted the dining room into a glass fusing studio and I was off and running. My kiln runs on 15 amps of electricity making it possible to fuse glass in a residential environment safely. I added a ring saw after seeing a demonstration by a local artist. Examples of my ring saw work such as lettering and various cut outs can be found in my gallery. My mind is often swimming in thoughts of glass. I feel the possibilities are endless and I am but a infant with so much to experience. A encouraging thought even the top gaffers never stop learning. I recently enrolled in a class recently intoducing me to kaleidoscope techniques for glass fusing. This February 2 2018 I should be rolling up my first kaleidoscope piece. With two Incredible instructors, lots of hard work and a passion, I will continue to experiment and create .
